Saturday Reads

 One can only hope housing prices tumble because they have been completely out of whack since the mid-1970s.  That is because the real estate industry was greedy for profits, and with more two-income households, decided to jack the prices up.  In more recent years, pent-up demand plus foreign investors and such drove housing costs through the roof.

Locally, the Almeda fire of 2000 exacerbated the problem.  Even manufactured homes are ridiculous in price.

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Obituary:  Rock drummer Alan White, 72, died after suffering from an undisclosed brief illness.

Snip:

He played with several other bands before joining Yes, including the Downbeats, the Gamblers and Bell & Arc.

In 1969, John Lennon invited White to join the Plastic Ono Band, which led to him featuring on several Lennon albums, including "Imagine."

When White joined Yes in July 1972, he had just three days to learn the songs before the start of a big US tour, his family said. He contributed to hits including "Owner of a Lonely Heart," "Long Distance Runaround" and "Roundabout."

His long musical career also saw him work with stars including George Harrison, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton.

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Oh, this is vile.  I can't believe the mentality exists that it is up to women and girls to "control" men.

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Obituary:  Actor Bo Hopkins, 80, who appeared  in American Graffiti and also appeared as one of the main characters in the first year of the TV soap Dynasty, has died.

You know, I thought I was imagining things, but yes, he had been at the Hot August Nights festivities in Reno years ago, and I remember seeing him there. He was there the year Harry Winkler was there and I wrote about that exchange on the blog.

He passed away from a heart attack.

Snip  (corrected the birth year). On the other hand, I have seen his birthdate was actually 1938, so he in fact was 84.  Whichever:

The handsome actor whose formal name was William Mauldin Hopkins was born February 2, 1942,  in Greenville, South Carolina. 

At 9 months, Hopkins was adopted by a couple who was unable to conceive. His adoptive father worked at a local mill and his mother was a homemaker. When Hopkins was only nine, his father died of a heart attack. He had only been 38. 

He witnessed his father's passing while standing on the family porch with his mother.

After his father's death, his mother eventually remarried. Hopkins reportedly did not get along with his new stepfather, and after running away from home a few times was sent to live with his grandparents.

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